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Claremont School Board revises mask policy

By Patrick Adrian
Staff Writer
CLAREMONT — In a narrow vote, the Claremont School Board eased the district’s masking policies for certain conditions, including one revision that raised concerns from school administrators.

The Claremont School Board voted 4-3 on Wednesday to only require students and staff to wear masks indoors when Sullivan County’s community spread is categorized as “substantial.” Previously, Claremont’s policy also made masks mandatory when the community spread level was “moderate.”

According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, a “substantial” community spread equates to over 100 active cases in a population of 100,000 people within a 14-day period.

A “moderate” spread constitutes 50-100 active cases per 100,000 people within a 14-day period.

A rate of 50-100 active cases per 100,000 people constitutes a “moderate” level of spread.

The school board also passed an arguably controversial revision that exempts parents from wearing masks when visiting a school when the community spread is “minimal,” or less than 50 active cases per 100,000 people within a two-week period.

School board member Steven Horsky, who proposed the parental exemption, initially sought to strike a mask requirement for all school visitors unless the community spread level was substantial.

“Being a parent, we are around our children seven hours a day in most cases,” Horsky explained. “And that is the most likely place where kids would get sick so far as outside contact.”

Several school administrators and board members objected to this condition, saying it will unfairly burden schools with another tier of mask monitoring and enforcement.

“Where do we draw the line on this?” asked school board member Joshua Lambert. “So if a parent comes in with a grandparent, the school staff is supposed to say the parent doesn’t have to mask but the grandparent does? . . . It’s going to turn into a bunch of arguments for the secretaries that they don’t need.”

“We are asking for the least amount possible [from visiting parents],” said school board member Rob Lovett. “To wear a mask. And you guys would rather go into [parameters and conditions] . . . than ask people to do the bare minimum for the community.”

Stevens Principal Pat Barry said putting school offices into this position could undo much of the trust and cooperation already established between schools and families.

“You put us in a position where we have to police, where we have to decide who does or does not,” Barry said. “And that creates friction, discord and argumentation, and it turns us into police.”

Barry said that when the policy was universal for everyone, she did not hear students or families complain about mask-wearing.

Horsky pointed out that the exemption would only apply when community spread is at the minimal level and will help shift community-thinking away toward a less-restrictive normalcy, given that viruses, including the novel coronavirus, will always remain.

“We’re not talking about getting rid of masks completely,” Horsky said. “I think we are doing something that’s very amicable.”

Horsky, along with Vice-Chair Heather Whitney and school board members Michael Petrin and Nicholas Stone, voted in favor of the amendments. Chair Frank Sprague joined Lovett and Lambert in the minority vote against the changes.

The school board also approved additional revisions to the district’s opening plan that were recommended by district administrators. These amendments included removing the use of plexiglass shields in classrooms and shared spaces, expanded the recommended length of social distancing from three feet to six feet and clarified policies pertaining to spectator events and school visits.

The first day of school for Claremont students is Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Because Sullivan County still has a substantial rate of community spread, masks will be required indoors for all students and staff to begin the new school year.

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